1966 Doubled Die Obverse WDDO-006

Description

Designated as the sixth Wexler doubled die obverse for the 1966 Lincoln cent, WDDO-006 is a business strike variety from the Philadelphia Mint's second-year production under the Coinage Act of 1965. The 2,188,147,783 business strike cents produced in 1966 represent the peak output of the three-year no-mint-mark era (1965—1967), reflecting the Mint's sustained campaign to eliminate the national coin shortage that had prompted Congress to act. No significant die markers have been documented for this variety on either the obverse or reverse, which means the doubled die pattern itself serves as the sole diagnostic feature for attribution. Varieties without die markers require collectors to focus entirely on characterizing the doubling — its class (rotated, pivoted, tilted, distorted, or offset), direction (clockwise, counterclockwise, or other), magnitude (the width of separation between primary and secondary images), and the specific design elements affected. This combination of characteristics creates a unique fingerprint for each doubled die variety, even when two varieties share the same general doubling class or direction. The 1966 date carried no mint mark, consistent with the mandate that stripped mint marks from all U.S. coins to prevent collectors from selectively hoarding coins from perceived lower-mintage facilities. Cross-referenced as Wexler Variety ID: 1966 1¢ WDDO-006. Collectors examining 1966 cents for this variety should use at least 10x magnification with directional lighting, tilting the coin at various angles to reveal the separation between primary and secondary hub images across LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the date. Struck on a 3.11-gram, 19mm planchet of 95% copper and 5% zinc.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Steve Young Cross References: None known
• None known; Wexler Variety ID: 1966 1¢ WDDO-006
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References